A School's Professional Culture and its Effect on the Formation of a Professional Development School

Abstract

Professional Development School (PDS) sites are being established as part of the Teacher Education Redesign Initiative (TERI) to create partnerships between universities and local schools. The professional culture and leadership of a school affects the creation of a partnership. Through interviews, this study examines the school site from the teachers’ and the principal’s perspectives to identify the perceived impact of the PDS partnership on teachers’ work, student learning, and the school’s culture. Findings indicate that specific types of professional development and leadership, including teaching teams, opportunities for choice, and team leadership, helped this school become a PDS. Also, the participants noted that they thought the school and profession would be impacted positively by the partnership through increased learning for teachers, more adults in the classroom, better trained novice teachers, and increased leadership opportunities for teachers.